How long after birth does a newborn kitten defecate?

Newborn kittens generally defecate once every 2-3 hours, but each time in very small amounts. Newborn kittens cannot defecate on their own and need the mother cat to lick their anus to stimulate elimination, so if the mother does not lick it, the kitten will not defecate.

If no mother cat stimulates the newborn to defecate, or the mother has poor maternal instinct and does not lick the anus, the owner can use a cotton swab dipped in warm water to gently massage around the kitten’s anus to stimulate elimination.